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June 20, 2011

Review: Deadline by Mira Grant

Paperback, 581 pagesPublished May 31, 2011 by Orbit

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.

I’m a huge fan of zombies if I feel they’re done justice, and while Mira Grant definitely does them justice, I think this series would be equally outstanding if it had been about an entirely different breed of creatures. The way Mira Grant writes and the attention to detail is absolutely stunning, if grim. In Feed, I found the wordiness to be a bit too much, and while Deadline is actually longer, I never had this issue. There was not a single passage that I even had the slightest urge to skim. I devoured every single thought that went through Shaun’s head, every word out of every other character’s mouth, every horrible reality Shaun is fed.

Feed made me cry. I don’t cry easily. I knew Deadline would most likely take an emotional toll on me, but it was so much more intense than I had anticipated. Deadline turned my stomach inside out and there was a moment when I had to actually close the book and walk away. I’ve had books make me emotional in the past, but I don’t recall ever needing to actually stop to breathe. Deadline did that to me.

The one thing I do not understand is how this series is considered YA. The characters are relatively young, but aside from that, there isn't a single aspect that feels YA to me. By no means am I complaining, but I think this series is more suitable for young adults than actually intended for young adults.

There isn’t a lot I can say without spoiling either Deadline or Feed, but I can say that this series is bloody brilliant, and if I wasn’t already bowing to Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire, I’d be groveling now. Deadline obliterated my expectations, and I can’t even begin to tell you how high they already were.

10 comments:

I loved it so much! There are parts of Feed that were slightly difficult to get through. Felt like info dump at times with the politics and such, but it's worth reading, and Deadline blew me away! Hope you enjoy :)

You really summed up my opinion of this book perfectly. This was just more intense than Feed, and I really never thought that was going to be possible. I loved Shaun's narration. I was enjoying myself and laughing a lot! I love this series so much, and cannot wait! for the next one.